Mandatory Electronic Invoice for B2B (from 2025)

[Andreas26188]

Hi,
we want to switch our webshop to Phoca Cart. In Germany, B2B vendors must provide an electronic invoice in a special XML format, conforming to EN16931. This starts from Jan 1st, 2025.
Is this possible in Phoca Cart? I could not find anything in the docs, and not in the list of plugins /3rd party plugins.

I looked for solutions which can offer one of these formats:

ZUGFeRD or XRechnung or EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

Any hints welcomed!
Andy

[Jan]

Hi, for now there is no such option or plugin:

https://github.com/PhocaCz/PhocaCart/issues/243

So the only way for now is just use standard accounting system.

There is no problem to implement it as this is just standard XML export, the problem is to find full specification of XML items and assign them to right values in Phoca Cart (which can be time demanding as mostly there are a lot of items)

Do you know the link to full specification of XRechnung (I found only examples)?

Thank you, Jan

[Jan]

BTW, I am not sure if I understand it correctly, but based on this source:
https://www.gypsilon.de/neuigkeiten/e-r ... sen-mussen
you must send electronic invoices (if you are small company or individual) only from 2028 or do I understand it not correctly?

[Andreas26188]

BTW, I am not sure if I understand it correctly, but based on this source:
https://www.gypsilon.de/neuigkeiten/e-r ... sen-mussen
you must send electronic invoices (if you are small company or individual) only from 2028 :idea: or do I understand it not correctly?

Hi, thank you for your kind answer. It is possible to skip the electronic billing for a certain amount of time - BUT only (!) if the customer agrees to it.
We've found a billing system which allows to create ZUGFERD standard invoices (Open3A).
Maybe we'll find a way to import an invoice from Phoca Cart to Open3A, both the database structures seems not too complicated.
Most of the B2B customers use "classic" ways (phone, mail) for ordering now, but we want to change that for the future.

The specifications:
https://www.ferd-net.de/ <- to start
Here in the download package is the full standard of ZUGFeRD and Factur-X:
https://www.ferd-net.de/standards/zugfe ... d-2.3.html

Hope that helps.

best greetings
Andy

[Andreas26188]

Hello Jan,
I've found another good sample for the xml format. It's here:
https://finax.dev/allgemein/xrechnung-beispiel/
and the examples look not to complicated.
There is a validator too, seems fine for testing:
https://finax.dev/xrechnung-validator/

best greetings
Andy

[Jan]

Hi, thank you for the info and for the sources.

[betei]

Hi,

this is a very important feature because at 01.01.2025 it is important (must have) to have either X-Invoice (native xml) or ZUGFeRD (a mix of PDF document with xml included. XML attached in PDF/A-3) https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZUGFeRD.

ZUGFeRD would be easier because there is no Leitweg-ID needed.
I cn send you an example it you want

Any news on this?

regards,
Betei

[Jan]

Hi, since 1.1.2025 you need to accept the electronic invoices, not to create:

"Selbstständige und alle Unternehmen, unabhängig ihrer Größe, müssen ab dem 1. Januar 2025 elektronische Rechnungen (XML-basiert / CEN-Norm EN16931) empfangen, verarbeiten und rechtssicher archivieren können"

So there is still some time (2028) to create optimized solution for "creating invoices". I am still learning what all the possible formats such invoices can have.

Jan

[Andreas26188]

Hi, since 1.1.2025 you need to accept the electronic invoices, not to create:

Hi Jan,
I think you are slightly wrong . Here is one official statement by the Bundesfinanzministerium:

Seit dem 1. Januar 2025 ist bei Umsätzen zwischen inländischen Unternehmern regelmäßig eine elektronische Rechnung (E‑Rechnung) zu verwenden.

https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/ ... nung.html

"ist zu verwenden" is translated as "you MUST use".

best regards
Andy

[Jan]

Hi, thank you for info, hard to say, I read the information from different sources.

Ja, bei dem Text mit "verwenden" geht es weiter mit: "Bei der Einführung dieser obligatorischen (verpflichtenden) E‑Rechnung gelten Übergangsregelungen." so der Text wird tatsächlich durch weitere Bedingungen ergänzt.

BTW Ich sammle verschiedene Informationen für die Entwicklung eines solchen Features. Das Problem besteht nicht darin, es überhaupt zu tun, sondern Informationen über ein bestimmtes Format herauszufinden.

Jan